The Aftermath
by hecatesbrat
Summary: Shera asks for a divorce. Cid tries to deal with the aftermath. Notes: This is based off of characters with an AU RP with LeakySneakyOprichniki. This Shera is based on HER Shera. My Cid is rather sweet on her Shera. He can still be a jerk but he's sweet on Shera.


They say that you can fall out of love with a person for the same reasons you fell in love with them. That over time, you don't see those endearing qualities as sweet, but rather they start to become annoying, or frustrating.

It was certainly true for Shera, but that was just the icing on the cake.

The gruffness that Cid seemed to exude now seemed _too_ gruff as if he couldn't temper that over the years? What she once considered confidence just seemed like cockiness and ego. Sometimes it seemed like he was a huge know-it-all and wouldn't listen to other's points of view.

The bluntness. It started to grate on her nerves. Just once, she would have loved it if he used tact and diplomacy instead of just dropping everything around and on her. She couldn't remember how or why she once thought that his bluntness was a good thing.

When she'd try to have a serious conversation with him about work, or the kids, or something that needed to be fixed, Cid would throw a grin at her and come up with some goofy comment. Or he'd be utterly serious at moments when she was trying to be silly. After a while, it seemed like they weren't on the same page at the same time.

Sitting at the table with the kid's cereal bowls still on their plastic place mats, Shera's eyes went to the wedding band on his finger and the engagement bracelet he still wore. A heaviness settled more in the cockles of her heart.

She thought of the day she came home and found her cousin Joy and Cid sleeping in their bed. They were both clothed in a manner; her in panties and one of Cid's tees and him in underwear. Both swore that nothing happened but she couldn't get past the smug smile on Joy's face for days afterwards. Cid had sworn up and down that nothing happened, that he woke to her in the bed then, and that he was just as confused as Shera was mad. He did say that he borrowed Joy one of his shirts as hers were too short and didn't cover her ass.

There were also texts between the two that always seemed to hold more than what was on the surface. Inside jokes and looks that seemed to linger a bit too long.

Shera didn't know if he was having an affair or not. It might not have been physical but it seemed like it might have been emotional at least, instead of friendly banter.

"I want a divorce." Her voice was both soft and loud in their dining space.

Cid's hand lowered the teacup that was rising. He blinked at her and from outside, he could hear the kids squealing in delight at something.

There was shock and he was quiet for a long moment. Tears tried to escape, and the feeling of sharp pricks behind his eyelids could be felt, and he swallowed a few times trying to get past the emotion lodged in his throat like the toast he just ate. There was a great deal of shock still running through him and he wasn't sure if he actually heard Shera correctly.

"Pardon?"

"I want a divorce." Again, no louder than the last time.

"Why?" His voice sounded rough as he asked. "What did I do?" Cid's voice was starting to sound wet with emotion. "Shera?"

The look on her face was hard but her eyes were filled with emotion. The heaviness in her chest hardened.

There was only a small handful of times that she had seen Cid cry, and they were on one hand. Their wedding, the birth of their children, and now.

"It's a lot of things. I still can't get past that thing with Joy."

Cid should have realized that despite the talks, and the counselling they went to over it, that it was something that wouldn't stay in the past.

Since Shera found Joy sleeping in their bed, with him in it, Cid had cut all ties with Joy, as a way to prove to his wife that he was hers. He was certain that the two cousins had spoken a few times on their own, with probably unkind words.

It didn't go unnoticed that Shera hadn't been intimate with him since then. She wasn't intimate but she was always _there_.

Shera clung tight to Cid. She was at his side whenever possible, draped over him when they slept. She'd sit in his workshop while he tinkered and played with things. Shera would show up when he went for a shower.

There was a day when Cid snapped and told her that he needed to breathe a bit. That he loved her but that she was always _right_ there. He no longer went out with friends or co-workers. Shera was there at work with him, and at home. She was there 24/7 and he needed to breathe, just a bit of space.

Despite Shera being there all the time, they didn't talk before sleeping like they used to do. She would still drape herself over him, possessive, as if something would come in the night to make sure that he was still hers.

The request for a divorce had left him reeling, like a left hook that came out of nowhere. Really, what was he to say? Would he deny her? No. He didn't even know how to fight for her to stay. He had done everything she had asked to try to mend things. Just last week he had flowers delivered to her office at work.

"Excuse me." Cid picked up his plate and mug, the kids bowls, and turned to put them in the dishwasher.

Shera watched him put dishes in the washer. His eyes glittered with unshed tears and his face was pulled into a frown.

"I'm takin' the kids to school, I'll be at work afterward. Find your own way there." He opened up the back door and called for the girls to get ready for school. He made a thermos of tea for the road, as he normally did while the girls were getting ready.

Moments later, the sound of Cid's SUV could be heard pulling out of the drive. Shera let out a shaky breath she didn't know she was holding.

Work was strained at times but went well enough. Cid left early to pick up the kids and start on dinner.

Shera came home late that night but still managed to tuck the girls in for bed. She ate the plate that Cid had made for her and tidied up the kitchen.

When Cid came down to make a cup of tea before bed, Shera watched him then went to get a file folder. She handed it to him.

Opening it, he looked at the sticky tabs where he was supposed to sign, and sighed.

"You _really_ want this?"

She nodded and watched as his mouth went to a tight line. Cid fished around for a pen in one of the drawers. He signed at every sticky note. "I _don't_ want this, Shera. I'm only signing because this is what _you_ want."

With a finger, he flipped the file folder closed. He tossed the pen to the counter and walked away. The kettle started to whistle for a moment before Shera pulled it off the element. She watched his broad back head away from her.

Through many of their arguments and fights, there was twice that Cid had not hugged her tightly. One of the first, and this one. She wanted so badly for him to hug her tight, to not let go until this ugly feeling inside went away. How could it go away when she herself was the one who brought it out?

Work was hard and it was going to get harder. Cid wasn't sure what Shera was going to ask for in the divorce. He figured the kids, the house and property it was on, and who knows what else.

He knew that he wouldn't be able to work with her any longer, and called her office to come for a meeting.

Shera took her time getting to his office then sat in the same chair that she had for her interview so many years ago.

"I'm going to assume that since you probably had an idea about the divorce for a while, you've been training someone to take your place?"

Shera blinked at him, felt her heart flutter and seem to fall in her chest. Or maybe her stomach was rising.

"I hadn't."

"Hadn't what? Thought about it for a while, or trained someone?"

He was all business. It was a side of him she rarely seen, or at least not from this side of the desk. Normally she would be by his side, handing him things during meetings, or taking part of them. She'd be watching Cid in action but now, she was meeting that business side of him. It frightened her a little. It was intense and cool. A bit calculating.

"Both, actually."

Shera watched as his blue eyes narrowed. Slowly, Cid inhaled then exhaled; his chest expanding against the button down shirt he wore. A shirt that Shera helped him pick out.

"So the divorce was just an idea that popped into your head? It must have circled around a couple times before you asked for it." He cleared his throat and shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Paperwork is done. You need to hand it in and we can get the proceedings on the way. Your lawyer can contact mine. That is _not_ why I asked you in here. Since we're divorcing, I need you to pick someone to be your replacement. I will be needing a new assistant. Train someone, and when you feel they are up to _your_ standards, you're done."

This time Shera felt like she was left breathless. Of course he wouldn't want to continue on with her in his life. She had decided that for their home life, and he continued it on into their work life.

She watched as his head dipped and he signed something. Looking back up, Cid gazed at her.

"Anything else, Ms Joules?"

Shera could not stop her jaw from dropping slightly. She hadn't even thought about using her maiden name. "I...no, Captain." Quickly, Shera stood and headed to her office. Behind closed doors, she quietly sobbed. Hearing her maiden name come from his lips hurt more than watching him sign the divorce papers.

Telling the kids, now that was something that was easy and oh so very hard at the same time. Cid told Shera that since she wanted the divorce, she could tell them.

The girls sat at the table and looked from Shera to Cid. The twins knew that it was serious as only _serious_ conversations happened at the table when dinner wasn't happening.

Cid sat to one side, a mug of tea at hand, but his chair towards the girls.

Shera explained what was happening and what was going to happen. She noticed the slight flinch that Cid tried to hide when she mentioned that they weren't going to be living together in a while.

They could see their daughter's lower lips quiver before the tears crested.

"Hey. Come here." Cid pushed his chair back a bit. "My girls, come here."

Reluctantly they came to him and Shera watched as he wiped their tears away with his thumbs.

"We still love you both so much. I want you to understand that. None of this is _your_ fault, okay?"

They nodded but the tears still came. Huge tears that rolled over little cheeks. Cid pulled them close for a hug. Shera watched and longed for Cid to hug her close for comfort. It wouldn't come.

"Okay. We need you to go and get ready for bed. If you have questions, you can ask them. We will answer as best as possible, okay? We love you."

The twins moved from Cid to Shera, giving her a hug as well before running off to get changed for bed. Cid sighed deeply, stood, and dumped his mug of tea out. As he went by the table, he pushed his chair in but didn't look at Shera.

When the first meeting with the lawyers came around, Cid sat and barely said anything. He made a list of things he wanted and passed it off to his lawyer.

The board room was dark woods and rich leather seats but it was brightened by the huge windows letting light in.

Shera and her lawyer sat on one side of the table, Cid with his on the other, and a mediator sat at the head of the table.

The mediator had looked over the wants of both parents and it looked hopeful but they had also seen hopeful cases go bad fast.

Shera asked for full custody. Cid asked for joint or split custody and looked pained when he heard that Shera wanted full custody. Shera asked for the house and the land it was on but said that Cid could have the original house which was the current rental house.

It was stated that Shera didn't want half of Cid's money, or his company, and he didn't want half of hers which made matters easy.

Before a decision was reached fully, Cid said that he would like the kid's to chime in on where they wanted to be. Shera's mouth tightened and she snapped at him: "They're _Daddy's Girls_ of course they'd want to go with you."

Cid looked hurt, sighed, and simply said that it was only fair for them to work that out together, with everyone involved. Shera had looked like she was going to say something else but thought better of it.

"The next part we need to discuss is child support payments." Shera's lawyer said.

"Given that Mrs Highwind has a greater financial income than Mr Highwind, child support will be paid to Mr Highwind."

Cid shook his head. "I don't need it. If it needs to be done then Shera could put whatever that payment would be, into a savings account, or a trust, for the kids."

Shera nodded in agreement.

The rest of the talks would be concluded after Shera and Cid spoke to their children.

Cid stood, grabbed his jacket and headed towards the door. Shera reached the door at the same time and for a moment, the lawyers and the mediator wondered if there were going to be heated words. Instead, Cid opened the door and held it open for Shera who nodded and walked out. Cid followed out.

The Highwind's lawyers looked at each other, shook their heads and sighed. It was something they'd seen time and time again in one form or another; one of the two would still hold so much love and be struggling to find a way to cut ties, only to find themselves stripped raw.

The children did _not_ want to talk about it. In fact, they so didn't want to talk about it, that they discussed everything else but. They talked about the different veggies on their plates, about how the rice tasted, how they liked the meat that was there, and the milk they drank. They talked about school, pulled up the whole day in almost startling detail, but they _refused_ to talk about the divorce.

Cid sighed. "My girls, I know you don't want to talk about this. _I_ don't want to talk about it. We don't have to know right now but I would love it, and appreciate it, if you could at least _think_ about it. Can you do that for us?"

"We will think about thinking about it if you think about how it's a stupid idea." Skylar said, her blue eyes on Cid.

Cid sighed and his head dropped back. "Sweetie, I _do_ think it's a stupid idea but I didn't want it."

Salem's blue eyes fixed themselves on Shera from across the table. It was a few very long moments before Shera sighed. "Fine. I will think about how it's a stupid idea if you think about what your father asked. Fair?"

Both girls nodded.

Shera tried to find a replacement for Cid at work, but none were good enough for her high standards. A couple were close but not close enough, and so, she kept searching within the company.

Cid wasn't sure if she was stalling, or if she couldn't find someone. He didn't want to ask so he left her to it.

There were moments in the day when he'd call her name and it was like nothing was wrong. Shera would walk in with something that he needed, or something he didn't know he needed and his heart would flutter when he seen her, just like it always would. Then his eyes would fall on the place where Shera's wedding band should have been and it was like everything came crashing down around him.

At times, Shera would be able to see his heart break all over again. She would watch him steel himself, take what she was handing him, then throw himself into work again.

For a couple of months, Cid still lived in the house but had moved everything of his out of the main bedroom. He moved it downstairs into one of the bedrooms down there. The girls helped, and he hoped that in a way, it helped them come to ease with things for the future when he did actually move out.

Cid told Shera that he wanted to make sure the tenants had enough time to find a place before he started boxing things up to move back into the old house.

"Why don't you just... stay down here?"

Cid looked at her. He would have loved it but it would kill him, if Shera decided to start dating again.

"Uh..."

"I mean, for now, the girls still love having you around. They haven't given us an answer one way or another on where they want to be. You'll have your space, and I'll have mine. We can still have dinner with the girls which I think they'd like."

"Let me think on it, okay?"

Shera nodded but looked like she wanted to press the issue. She didn't, but turned, and went back upstairs.

Skylar popped out of his closet and looked at him. She watched him sit on the bed and put his head in his hands. Cid didn't see his daughter and therefore didn't hide his sniffling, or the tears.

"Papa." Her voice was soft but it still jolted Cid.

"Skylar! Hey. What are ya doing down here?" He wiped at his tears.

She watched him wipe his tears and scowled. "Why are you crying?"

"Well, you know how sometimes you cry because you're really happy, or really sad?" He held an arm out to her and Skylar came to him, curled against him. "Adults do it too."

"These are sad tears, aren't they?"

"Yes, baby, they are."

"Is it because momma wants the divorce?"

"In a way, yes. It's hard to explain. With this divorce, I'm losing a lot of things."

"Like what?"

"My home. My workshop. Soon I'll be moving out, and I won't get to see you or Salem every day. It hurts my heart to know that I won't be able to see you guys."

"Momma said you could stay. Why don't you?"

Cid sighed and looked at his daughter. "Oh, my baby girl. I keep thinking of what might happen in the future. Like, if momma finds someone else to love. I can't stay here if that happens."

"She can't love anyone else. That's not fair."

"I know, but it might happen. I could stay, and _if_ it does happen, then I'll move out."

Skylar scowled again. Cid grinned and tapped her nose.

"Will that work for you, for now? For me to live in the basement like a big troll?"

Skylar started to protest that Cid wasn't a troll but he started tickling her. "Stop it!" She cried out. Cid stopped. "Yeah. That will be okay. But she _won't_ love someone else."

"Okay my little sparkplug. She won't love anyone else."

They made a schedule of sorts, who would pick up the kids, who would make dinner, who would and when they'd clean in the common areas. Cid stated that the basement was his so he would keep it clean but agreed that he would help with the kitchen.

They both agreed that they wouldn't get mad if things didn't happen right away.

Shera found more and more, that the girls would go spend time downstairs with Cid. Sometimes she'd come downstairs to tell the girls to get ready for bed and find the three curled up on the couch or the huge comfortable chairs. Sometimes, she would leave them sleep, and sometimes she'd wake Cid.

He would look up at her, smile a bit in his half wake state. Those were the moments Shera hated. She could see the love there, still on his face then watch as he woke up and realized that they were now divorced and saddened.

Cid was at Parent-Teacher night as Shera wasn't feeling well. The twins did wonderfully in school, however, there was concern because they had seemed to become withdrawn for a while.

He explained that earlier in the year, Shera and he had divorced, and that it was still a new playing field for everyone involved.

The teacher's face fell as she quickly apologized. Cid shrugged and said: "I guess things happen."

Skylar called out from across the room: "She won't be with anyone else. It was stupid of her to do it." To which Salem grunted in response but didn't look up from her book.

Cid just looked at the teacher but didn't have anything to say.

Part of her wondered if he ever thought about crawling into her bed. Not even in a sexual way, just for the company. She thought about curling up next to him more than a few times.

There were some days when Shera missed Cid so much, that she would head down to the basement, go into his bedroom, and lay on his bed. She would hug his pillow tight and inhale deeply, trying to take the scent into her very fiber.

Those lonely moments, and probably a lot more than Shera was willing to admit, were when she missed him the most. When she wanted to turn to him, and spill all the things about her day, if anything, just to hear his voice call someone an asshat, or to gently shush her and pull her close.

Shera missed Cid despite him living in the basement. She missed _being_ with him.

The girls were supposed to be going out for the night. Shera had told Cid a while ago, he said that it was cool, and ended up making plans himself.

He figured he'd head out to the bar that his work crew used to head to after work, see if they were still there.

Having time to kill, Cid decided to put the time to good use and get in a short workout. His earbuds were in, and his music was playing, so he didn't hear Shera come down the stairs or call his name.

She stood watching him, her nostrils flaring in desire for the sweaty man. She watched him pull the bar upwards from a hip level. Shera watched the muscles flex and move as he did the moves a few times. Cid grunted and the noise went straight between her thighs. She swallowed hard and kept watching.

Cid's shirt clung to him, clung to the muscles, and Shera's eyes went over every one she could see. She didn't realize it until she noticed that his stomach was facing her. He was still big, but his belly didn't look as soft as it once had. It looked firmer and Shera couldn't stop herself from licking her lips and bringing her eyes up to meet his face.

His head was cocked a bit, the earbuds resting over a shoulder. There was that _damned_ grin on his face, the one that sometimes made her knees melt, and his eyebrow was cocked.

"Ya okay over there?"

"I...yes. What?" Shera fumbled her words. ' _When did he start working out again?_ ' She thought to herself, pulling her eyes away from his body. "Pardon?"

"Asked if ya were okay. I also didn't hear ya come down the stairs. Did ya need something?"

"I was just going to tell you that.." Her eyes went to his mouth, to the stubble on his chin, then to his eyes in the matter of a brief second. "That, uh..."

"Shera?" Cid almost looked concerned, almost. He knew what he did to Shera. He _knew_ what his voice did to Shera, and he damned well knew what his mouth could do to her. He wanted to kiss her. To muss her lipstick up, to pull that skirt high around her waist and have her against the wall until she was a whimpering mess. Cid just didn't know that him working out and standing in front of her was making her brain short out a bit as well.

A soft but insistent whine came from Shera before she curled a hand around his neck and pulled him close. Her mouth was against his and a soft whimper escaped.

Cid kissed back. He kissed back hard. His hands went around her waist and pulled Shera close. Reality sunk in quickly however and Cid pulled back.

"Shera. I can't. I can't do this. This is wrong."

Her hands moved along his jaw, along the stubble that was there. "Please, Cid. Please. I want you so much."

Cid could not stop his eyes from closing at Shera's touch. It was heaven for him. "Shera." It was almost a warning.

Shera's hands went into his hair, her nails scraping along his scalp at the nape of his neck. "Shera." It was almost a growl.

This time, when she asked, Cid could feel her breath against his mouth. When he opened his eyes, all she could see was the built up lust. He pushed her against the wall, his mouth going to hers to kiss and taste. A happy noise escaped Shera as her arms went around his shoulders.

They were two pieces of the same puzzle. They were meant to be together, and fit perfectly together. Or that's what Shera's mind offered up as Cid shoved his cock deep into her body before it was filled with how perfect he was.

Shera's skirt was hiked around her hips, and her legs were wrapped around his waist. Cid's hands had a tight grip against her ass as he thrust into her.

Over and over, Shera's hot breath moved over his neck and ear as she panted and cried out softly. Cid growled out Shera's name, then made a noise almost like a strangled groan as he came inside her. Shera's nails dug into his skin and her teeth found the meat of his shoulder to muffle the cry from her orgasm.

A shiver overcame both of them and slowly, Cid pulled out. He placed Shera back onto the floor and made sure she could stand before straightening out her panties. They were almost ruined scraps. At one point, he would have simply said to put it on his tab. This time, he blushed, and said that he'd give her the money for a new pair. Shera leaned in and kissed his cheek before peeling her panties off and dropping them into a trash bin.

"You have lipstick, all mussed on your face." Cid said, his finger pointing where it would be.

"I'll fix it up. Me and the girls are headed out."

"Have fun." Cid said, with an almost shy smile.

"We will."

Shera headed back up the stairs, hips swaying. Cid could only watch her go before turning and heading to the showers.

For the twins, as long as their dad wore his wedding band and bracelet, they thought that there still might be a chance for their parents to get back together. Every morning, they would check to see if it was still on his hand and arm. When Cid would chuckle and inquire, they'd call out "Nothing!" and hurry off to get ready for school. Cid would shake his head, and pack his lunch for work.

Shera hadn't worn her ring since the divorce was finalized but the girls had their money on Cid. Their faith in the fact that Cid loved Shera so much, that it would help their mother to see that she was meant to be with him, all because he still wore the bands.

One day, Shera came down the stairs in a cute flirty outfit. The twins made noises over the outfit and when Cid looked up, he found that he couldn't breathe. Shera looked stunning.

"Ya look good. Goin' out with the girls?" He asked. The last time Shera was dolled up she had taken the girls out for an evening, and he had sex with her against the wall before she left.

"I'm going on a date."

The rhythmic sound of Cid chopping faltered for a moment but righted quickly.

"Have fun." He said simply. There was no malice, or ill will from Cid, but his heart broke a bit more.

Shera could see it as he turned away from her. He busied himself with cooking dinner and _not_ looking at Shera.

The evening went on and Cid made sure the girls were washed up for bed, tucked in, and stories were read.

The next morning was the first time since Cid had gotten the engagement bracelet, and his ring, that he took them off. The twins cried openly at the breakfast table but couldn't, or wouldn't answer as to why they were crying. How could they explain that all their hopes were dashed to a man that was their hopeful champion?

She hovered in his doorway as he was changing, her hand hovering to knock against the wood. Cid was pulling off his shirt and was revealing his body. The workouts were doing wonders to tighten up his muscles. He was still big, still heavy, but it was muscle. His shoulders and arms _looked_ bigger as well. Her eyes watched as the t-shirt fabric was pulled down Cid's biceps. Shera swallowed and swore that she was drooling.

"Shera, yer staring."

"Sorry. You look good."

He flashed a smile at her and tossed his shirt into the hamper.

"What's up?"

"We need to discuss a couple of things." With a soft sigh, Shera tried to focus on what she had come to talk to Cid about.

"Okay, like what?"

She was staring again and this time, Cid was going to let her stare for as long as she wanted. There was amusement in watching Shera stare. She'd start to focus on what was at hand, lick her lips, then stare more. With a smirk, Cid pulled a shirt out of his dresser and tossed it to the bed. He unbuckled his pants, shot his ex-wife a side-eyed glance to see if Shera was going to leave or not. When there was no movement to leave, Cid dropped his pants and heard a sharp inhale of breath. He pulled out a couple pieces of paper from his pockets, placed them on the dresser, then tossed his pants to the hamper as well.

This time, Cid looked at Shera and found that her eyes were going over the curve of his ass. He could only grin but suddenly felt shy about stripping down in front of her completely. Shera had seen him naked plenty of times, in positions that would have made him blush if he thought about it too much.

Turning from Shera, he dropped his underwear to his knees then lifted his legs out of the leg holes before dropping it into the hamper as well.

Moments later, Shera's hands were against his back. Cid couldn't stop himself from closing his eyes. He missed it so much, too much.

"Shera. We can't."

Her lips were against his skin when she spoke. "Just this." Her hands snaked around to run over his abs. Cid watched them roam over his skin and brush against the hair that dusted his chest.

When Shera pressed her front against his back, Cid shivered.

"Shera."

"Yes?"

"You are not making this easy for me." It was a loaded sentence but it was the truth. Shera was silent, her hands still roamed.

Slowly, Cid turned in her arms and looked down at her. "Ya hearin' me? You are not making this easy."

"I know. This isn't easy for me either."

"I think this is pretty damned easy right now."

"Cid, you have a beautiful mouth but right now, it needs to stop talking."

He couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped. Grinning he looked at Shera and found himself being pulled into a kiss. Her fingers massaged at his ears and Cid shivered but found his arms wrapping around Shera.

Cid took his time undressing her, kissing Shera's skin as he exposed it and was rewarded with soft gasps, sighs, and moans.

Things escalated quickly after that; soon they were on the bed and Cid kept kissing Shera, his voice low and deep, and the noise of it almost thrumming between Shera's legs. She knew she was wet. Shera was wet when he started undressing, then more so when he said her name. Now, with his lips, teeth, and tongue moving against her neck, chest, and breasts, Shera was surprised she wasn't leaking a small lake under them.

She almost came when Cid pushed his fingers into her body. Shera clenched around his fingers and moaned his name with an arch of her back. Her legs fell open to him as Cid thrust his fingers in and out of Shera's body.

"Please. Cid, _please._ " she begged.

Cid was hard a bit ago and moved closer to Shera after pulling his fingers out. He sucked on them greedily while slowly pushing his tip into her.

They were nothing but moans, gasps, growls, and soft cries. Cid had hooked the back of Shera's knees over his forearms, and had curled over her. He cupped her face and kissed her gently, and the intensity of it made Shera want to weep.

Cid wished he could take a picture of Shera in that moment. Her head thrown back into his pillows, which was covered by her long hair. He could feel her hand tightening on his arm, and Cid was pretty sure his back got a couple new scratches from her.

"Cid! Cid! Please, yes!"

He kissed her again, then once more and it was slow, and sweet, and both wished that it wouldn't end.

Shera broke the kiss to moan his name as she came around him. Cid made soft, pleased noises, and whispered her name.

It was a few minutes later that Cid came in Shera, his mouth open in a low moan, and his forehead pressed against hers while his body rocked them through his orgasm.

It took a few minutes longer after that for Cid and Shera to come down from their orgasmic high. Cid rolled to her side, panting and content.

"What was it, you wanted to talk about?" He panted the words out.

"I... I can't remember. It'll come back to me." She panted back.

It was a couple days later when Cid dropped onto his bed and sighed. It was a long day, a long evening, and he longed for sleep.

He curled up with a pillow, inhaled deeply then paused. Shera. He could smell her on his pillows.

Gripping tighter, Cid buried his face into the pillow. It was more to hide the pathetic noise he was making than anything. All the nights when he'd curl up behind her and bury his face against her hair came flooding back.

Cid fell asleep to the scent of Shera on his pillow, and he slept well for a bit.

Waking sometime later in the night, he reached out to where Shera would normally sleep beside him and found it empty. Cid sighed and he found the pillow from earlier. He could barely smell Shera on it.

He fell asleep pretending that the scent didn't dissipate and that he could still smell her there.

Cid came bounding up the stairs, opened the fridge, grabbed a water and chugged it down. Shera looked up from cooking dinner and smiled. He looked amazing.

His shirt was crisp and the perfect shade of blue that brought out his eyes. The tie was subtle but still looked great. Cid had even shaved which gave Shera pause, until it hit her that _he_ was going on a date.

That idea didn't sit right in her stomach. She was _not_ pleased but she couldn't say no. They weren't married anymore, and he tried to be supportive of the dates she had gone on, even if she could see it breaking his heart.

"Will you be out late?"

"Uh, probably." He answered. "Put the girls to bed for me?"

Shera nodded as he walked past. He was wearing cologne. Not a lot of it, but just enough to tease the senses. She was immediately jealous when she realized it was the one they had bought on a vacation. It was the one that when worn, Shera would bury her nose against Cid's neck to inhale the way it smelled on him.

He grabbed his keys, his wallet, and a jacket. "See ya later!"

"Bye." Shera said but it sounded flat. Cid almost paused but headed out.

The divorce was her idea, her want, her desire, and he gave it to her. If she got what she wanted then why did this feel like a lead weight in her stomach?

Sitting cross legged on his bed, laptop in front of him, Cid typed away. His glasses reflected the screen in the dimness of the room.

There was a soft knock on the door and Cid's typing paused. He looked at the door and figured it was Shera instead of one of the girls. The girls would knock then come in.

"Come in." His attention went back to the screen as the door opened.

He could feel the cooler air enter and he looked up as Shera didn't say anything. She stood in the doorway, watching him.

"What's up?"

"Can I ask a request?" For some reason, the sight of Cid in glasses always did something silly to her belly.

"Ya can. Not sure if I can do it." His forearms rested on his thighs.

She noticed he was in his boxer briefs, the ones that he started purchasing long ago to help hide the bulge in his pants. Shera swallowed.

"Can I have a hug?"

The request surprised him and a small frown tugged at his lips. "You okay, Shera?" His brow furrowed a bit as he stood up then went to her.

"I hope so."

That worried Cid a bit as he pulled her into a tight hug. Cid held her close, his arms wrapping around Shera's frame just like he used to when she was down or just needing his closeness.

Cid felt Shera push her face against his neck, and he shifted a bit to better accommodate her. He felt her arms wrap around his waist and finally, Shera leaned against him a bit more.

After a few long heartbeats, Cid quietly asked: "Wanna talk about it?"

"No." Pulling back a little, she gently rubbed his shoulder. "You are probably the last person I should speak to about things."

A frown appeared again.

"I didn't mean it like that Cid. Right now, I just feel like ..." Shera swallowed and shook her head. "I don't even know how to put it into words."

"That the divorce was a stupid idea? That I shouldn't be here, living in the basement of your house when you need to move on? That there might be a small possibility that there's still some attraction there?"

"Sometimes all of those." Her voice was soft. "Sometimes, one more than the others."

"Give me a bit of time to let the tenants find a place and I'll move back into my old house."

"Cid."

"Shera." His tone brooked no argument. "I love you, and I will _always_ love you. I want you happy. I want you to be able to move on and find someone who will _make_ you happy and do for you what I couldn't."

"Cid." Tears were hiding in the soft curve of his name.

Slowly, he pulled her close again, and hugged her tightly. Shera sobbed against his chest and Cid could do nothing more than stroke her hair. Glancing back at his bed, Cid guided Shera to the bed. "Come on. Rest with me for a bit."

He saved his work and put things onto a small table next to his bed. Shera was still crying as he pulled her gently into the bed. "Come 'ere. Ya probably miss snuggling as much as I do."

Curling against Cid, she felt _right_ and at home. Somewhere deep down inside _knew_ that this was where she was supposed to be. He was so incredibly warm and she could hear his heart beating in his chest. Shera knew that lullabye well and could feel it already start to relax her. Cid's fingers through her hair helped her fall asleep in his arms.

It was the first night in a very long time that both slept through the whole night, and slept well.

Cid was teaching the girls how to help with dinner. How to peel veggies and use safe tools that would chop the veggies without them touching blades. That would come later.

He could hear Shera on the phone talking to one of her cousins about the past couple dates she had gone on. Cid had noticed that it didn't hurt his heart as much to hear her speak about it and wondered if that was a part of being okay with it or if it was something else.

Snippets of conversations floated to his ears as he cooked.

"He's nice. Really sweet and kind. Funny too..." Shera sighed. "I don't know what the matter is! ...I haven't thought of him sexually. ...yeah, he's still living here but he's planning on moving out. ...no, not really. ...because it's nice to come home to someone here, to a warm plate, to be able to sit at the table and talk about our days, to know that the kids are with someone who loves them instead of a babysitter. ...I don't know. ...I think I still love him."

Weeks turned into months, and months into another year. Shera and Cid were divorced for two years and still, Cid hadn't moved out. There were boxes packed up and sitting in the storage room, ready to go, if Shera ever let him go. They'd have a fight over something, Shera would ask Cid why he was still here, and he would say: "I can go."

The only thing he needed to pack up was the clothes from his dresser, then take everything out of Shera's house.

More often than not, he would leave the common area they were in, only to have Shera come after him a few moments later. She longed for him to hold her tight like he used to do when they fought. She would find him packing his clothing and Shera would stop him.

"Don't. Please."

"No. Shera. This happens every time, and you're right. You're so, very right. I don't know why I'm still here."

"We need you."

"You don't, Shera."

"The girls do. I do."

"To open jars that are sealed to tight? Nah. I love you, but you're right. We're still going on with our lives under the same roof. It kills me. It kills me more when we end up in bed together. It hurts so _fucking_ much when you go on dates, then come back looking mussed up. This playing house _hurts_. I can't do this anymore."

Clothes were being packed into a huge ruck sack and Shera could only watch in silence.

"I can be with the kids if you have a date. They can come to my place. This will also give you the freedom to bring people back here, if you want." Cid was almost proud of himself for being able to say the sentence without choking on words. "We can do holidays, Christmas, and birthdays. Or, if you want, they can come to my place on the weekends."

"Don't. Don't do this. Please." Shera stood in the doorway with tears on her cheeks.

Cid looked at Shera. "We are divorced, Shera, and as much as I want to keep going on like this, it's not good. We both knew there would be a day when I'd _actually_ move out. We're not getting back together here. We're both going on dates and havin' a grand time but fuck, it hurts me. Maybe I'm not havin' such a grand time of it then. I don't know about you, but it hurts. I already said what we can do about the kids when dates and shit comes up."

"Cid. Please."

"Shera. I love you. I am gonna love you until the sun blows up and time stops but this is killing me so much. Let me go."

The noise of the strings being pulled taut on the pack was loud. Cid slung it over his shoulder and headed towards the door. Shera stood fast. His eyes fell on the necklace she wore; his dog tags. Slowly he undid them from her neck and hooked them back around his own.

"Please." The word was wet with tears and emotion.

Cid kissed her forehead and whispered against her skin. "I love you, Honey Bee." He moved past her and went upstairs.

Shera looked at the now empty bedroom. The furniture was there, the bed made, and on the nightstand was his wedding band and bracelet. They were in Shera's hands a couple seconds later. As she sat on the bed, she slid the bracelet on, then found a finger for the ring.

The summer came and then went, giving way to autumn.

Cid pulled into Shera's drive way and found that a different vehicle sat there. He cocked his head at it, then pulled out his phone to text Shera.

"That's Mitchell's car."

"Mitchell, huh?"

"You've not met him yet, have you daddy?"

"Nope. Didn't even know she was dating someone exclusively."

"What's that mean?"

Cid chuckled and explained then asked: "Do you like Mitchell?"

"He's okay."

"No."

"How come no?" Cid asked, turning in his seat.

"I don't like him. He thinks he's funny but he's not, then gets mad if you don't laugh at his stupid jokes."

"Are they bad like my jokes?"

"No. They're just not funny. Your jokes are funny."

"My jokes are funny huh?"

"I don't like him."

"That is okay. You don't have to like him."

"I want you to move back in, daddy."

Cid sighed then looked at his phone when it vibrated. Shera had texted back stating that they were both clothed and it was okay for them to come in.

"Okay my little ones, out we get."

Skylar and Salem got out of the SUV and held Cid's hands as they went up to the house. They were discussing school and a project they needed to work on when the door opened.

"Hi kids! Welcome home." Mitchell stood in front of the trio. Straight, white teeth, and skin that looked like he tanned too much seemed to float in front of Cid. Mitchell's hair was slicked back and dark. "You must be Cid."

"I am." Skylar's hand tightened in Cid's as Cid responded.

"Nice to meet you."

"Like wise." Cid said.

"Where are my manners, come in!" Mitchell moved out of the way and Cid pushed in with the girls. He was bristling under his hoodie and tried to remind himself that he had moved out. That it was no longer his home.

"Girls, get your stuff off and make sure your homework is done." Mitchell said.

"Uh, their homework is done. Don't worry about that. It's a thing we do on the weekend."

Skylar's hand tightened a bit more and Cid looked down at her. "Sparkplug?"

"Papa, discussion please."

Cid opened the door back up and lead her back out. Mitchell looked like he was going to say something but Shera came around the corner then. Salem hugged her mother and went into the kitchen.

He knelt in front of his daughter. "What's up?"

"Daddy, I don't like him. I don't want to be near him. He gives me the heebie jeebies. Please, can I stay with you?"

"Let me talk to your mom, okay? Does Salem feel the same way?"

"No. She doesn't."

Cid stood and walked back in, bellowing Shera's name out. She quickly came around the corner, concern on her face. Mitchell followed. "Shera, can I talk with you for a moment?"

"Yes."

"Outside, please." Cid headed back out and went to Skylar, who promptly took his hand.

Shera slipped her shoes on and headed out after him, calling to Mitchell to keep an eye on the stove for her.

"What's up, Captain?"

"Do you want me to tell her, or do you want to do it?" Cid knelt again.

"Mama, I don't wanna stay here. Not when Mitchell is here. I don't feel comfortable with him here. I feel the heebie jeebies. Can I stay with Papa?"

Shera looked at Cid then back at her daughter. "Yes, you can. I need you to pack your stuff up then."

"For how long?" Cid inquired.

Skylar looked at Shera. "How long is Mitchell staying?"

"Probably until tomorrow morning when he leaves for work. He might be back the next day."

"Then I will stay with Papa until he doesn't come back any more." There was a defiant look in Skylar's eyes.

Shera sighed, then nodded. "Go, pack up then." Skylar took off inside and headed upstairs.

"Cid."

"Shera?" He watched her and knew that she was worried. She might have been worried about the girls being split up. Her eyes held that worry close, they almost screamed with worry and the corners of her mouth twisted a bit.

"If Salem wants to move to your house-"

"Then she is more than welcome. I will not turn our daughters away." Cid looked at Shera. "Does he treat you well?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"He's not you though."

"I should hope not."

Shera smiled at that and looked at him. "If there were a chance of us..."

"Don't tease like that." His eyes went to his bracelet around her wrist. "I'm going to go help Skylar pack."

She nodded.

A few months later, Salem moved into Cid's house as well. She missed her twin and felt empty being away from her.

Shera felt saddened, but she understood. She wouldn't want the girls to be apart.

Mitchell ended up staying over more and more the longer the two dated, as things sometimes happened.

There was a small nugget of inquietude with Mitchell staying over more and more but she couldn't put her finger on it. Sometimes it would rear it's head when Shera would wake in the middle of the night. When she'd look over and see a figure but her mind told her that it was too thin to be Cid, too quiet to be Cid, and not blond enough to be Cid. That Mitchell wasn't man enough to be Cid. All of that flashed through her head in a nano-second. When she woke, everything that went through her night-time waking seemed foolish.

The first night Mitchell had stayed over, Shera had woke in a panic in the middle of the night because she couldn't hear Cid's snoring. When she gave the body next to her a shove and the response wasn't a Cid-noise, Shera had screamed and almost physically knocked Mitchell out of bed.

There was one instance when Shera and Mitchell were having sex, and the right combination of a thrust, fingers fisting in Shera's hair, and a noise from Mitchell almost made Shera call out Cid's name. It was the one time in a bunch of times they had sex. Sometimes, after sex, Shera would think how it was nice but it wasn't the leg-shaking, knee-melting, make-me-feel-that-for-a-week sort of sex that she'd have with Cid. His size was smaller than Cid's and left her feeling empty. Mitchell also could never really spank her ass hard enough.

Shera and Joy had begrudgingly started speaking to each other and Shera rang Joy to update her on things, even if her cousin heard about it from the rest of the family.

The last thing that Shera ended up mentioning to Joy was Mitchell. The two talked long about him and the relationship, and how it felt for Shera. Shera mentioned her unease and the night-time thoughts. The response came back as: "Of course it's going to feel wrong. It's not Cid. There is a stranger in Cid's house. In the house you built with your husband. He's going to be a puzzle piece that doesn't fit quite right. or he'll fit but in a puzzle that was bright, he'll be the dark piece that looks wrong, or something like that."

"I'm not trying to replace Cid."

"Not exactly. How is the ol' grump pot?"

"He's... He's good. He's got the girls living with him."

Shera told Joy everything that had happened, then asked why Cid didn't tell her.

"You don't know, Sherry Berry? Cid stopped talking to me after you found us in bed - which nothing happened. Hasn't talked to me since. Told you, that man has eyes for only you."

"He's gone on dates..."

"So have you. Everyone needs human contact. Is he with anyone now?"

"No."

"He _loves_ you. There was always something about you two. It wasn't just that sickly sweetness that people give off when they're in love. With you two, it was like you could take on the world and win. You were _meant_ to be together. Soulmate status."

Joy could hear Shera's sigh and debated about asking if she could go after the Captain. She bit her tongue this time. Maybe when she and Shera patched things up a bit more she'd ask, or when Shera said that her and this Mitchell guy were going to get married.

It was hard to breathe sometimes around Mitchell. It was like he was always there, always questioning. Questioning everything Shera did. He would ask who she was texting, who she was talking to, why was she using her native language, why was she dressed like that? Why, who, what, when, where?

Shera felt like she was being controlled, and it didn't sit well with her.

Finally, she sat Mitchell down and told him that she needed a break from him, and their relationship for a while. He fought it, almost becoming angry with her about her choice but backed down quickly.

Mitchell left the house and went back to his own home where he he sulked.

Shera felt a huge sigh of relief escape then realized that she was pretty sure Mitchell was not going to be in her life for much longer.

For a month or so, Shera remained single. She didn't go on dates, nor did she seem to hold any interest in Mitchell who sometimes would call to see how she was.

At one point, Shera told Mitchell that they would need to start from the beginning, that she wanted to go on dates, and get a feel for each other again. Mitchell thought it was a good idea as well.

Part of Shera wondered if Cid would have agreed to a date, if she had asked. Shera would have happily said yes if Cid had asked her but as far as they both knew of each other, they were both off the table to date.

Shera's knock on the front door was unanswered. She knocked one more time then opened the door and listened. There were the noises from the fridge and the slow drip of the tap in the kitchen, but she couldn't really hear anything else on that floor.

For a brief moment, she thought she had heard her name and headed towards the stairs. Part of her wondered if Cid had an accident and walked a bit faster; high heels clacking against the wood floors.

On the stairs, Shera heard her name. It seemed strained and vaguely familiar in tone but she couldn't place it. She continued on.

The bedroom door was open slightly and she headed in. Shera could hear Cid much better and he was saying her name over and over like a mantra. Sometimes it was whimpered and soft, other times it was said through clenched teeth.

When a soft but strangled cry escaped, Shera knew that Cid was masturbating. She blushed a bit but felt very honoured that he still thought of her like that. The noises he was making also went below her belt; her mind fed her memories of when she and Cid had sex or made love in the past.

Stepping in a bit more, Shera watched.

She took note that the stroker toy was the one that she had made him for Christmas years ago. That wasn't what caught her eye however. Cid's face captured her.

He was flushed bright pink along his cheeks, and it had moved down to his neck. Cid's lips were full and pink, probably from his teeth biting at them while he thrust into the toy.

His heels were digging into the bedding while his hips thrust upward, pushing his cock into the toy. Shera watched as his member pushed into the toy slowly, spreading the opening wide.

The noises Cid made her panties wet. In between calling out Shera's name, the moans caused her lower belly to flutter; she swallowed hard and stepped closer to the bed.

"Shera. Ssshera! Fuck, babe, fuck. Shera." Cid kept thrusting into the toy, and Shera kept watching.

There was sweat on his brow, and in the dip of his throat, and Cid's voice sounded almost hoarse when he cried out Shera's name next.

His hand fell from the toy but the toy was on him fully, and Cid bucked his hips upward and hard. Shera made a noise at that; she knew how that felt.

Cid's eyes snapped open and locked onto Shera. He blushed, and stammered, and started to reach for a pillow to cover himself.

"Don't. Please." Shera's voice was soft as she asked. Her hand had moved out to almost touch his shoulder.

He swallowed, slowly nodded, and looked at his ex-wife. She looked amazing, and looked like she was going out for a date.

"I don't want to keep you from something."

"You won't."

It almost felt a little awkward as the woman he was masturbating to - his ex-wife - was now in the room and wanting to watch.

Once more, Cid gripped the toy and slowly pulled it off of his cock. The toy leaked lube in a thin string from its lips to his tip. This made Shera gasp softly. She moaned as he pushed back into the toy just as slow.

Cid groaned and pushed his shoulders into the bed while his hips raised up to thrust into the toy that he was pulling down onto his shaft. He moaned Shera's name, and it was low, and rumbly in that way that did things to her.

After a few more of those moans, Shera found herself unzipping her dress and crawling to sit beside Cid on the bed. He opened his eyes and found the love of his life in lingerie that he couldn't stop staring at. Part of him wanted to know if she bought it for him and never wore it, or if she bought it for the date. He refused to ask but she caught the possessive look and that too, did something to her.

Cid thrust up into the toy again and Shera moaned.

She knew his girth, knew how perfectly he fit her, and in that moment, she hungered to feel him fill her. To stretch her open while pinning her hips to the bed, and having her knees hooked over his elbows.

The want to touch was high, far too high, for Cid. His hand came down between her thighs on the bedding and he gripped it tightly. His teeth clenched as he thrust into the stroker toy.

Shera touched his wrist, and he unclenched his hand in the bedding. "Don't wreck these." She said as she guided his fingers to her sex. She could trust that he wouldn't tear her panties, especially since she told him not too. He paid up his running tab of ruined underwear long ago.

Cid's fingers nearly trembled as he worked his fingers into her body.

"Yes! Cid!" Shera cried out and he could feel her slick arousal slide down his fingers and pool in his palm. Cid groaned and tried to focus on finding Shera's clit. His mind felt like it was on fire as he touched her. He had craved Shera's body and now he was able to touch it again for a short while.

Shera's body tightened around his fingers and she moaned again.

Cid knew the spot. He worked her g-spot countless times over the years, and was doing just that now.

"Wait, Cid. Please."

His hand stilled. "What do you need?"

"You. I need you. In me."

"I am." He stroked again.

"Not your fingers. Please." Shera fixed him with a look.

"You sure? Think about this."

He waited and watched her swallow hard, then nod.

"Yes. I am very sure."

Cid pulled the toy off of his cock, and Shera moved to straddle his hips. His hands moved to steady Shera as she guided the tip in. Both of them moaned as Cid pulled Shera down his shaft.

He watched as her eyes closed, and her mouth dropped open.

"Oh, Cid. Babe, I missed this. Don't stop."

He rocked upwards, filling Shera over and over with every inward thrust. It was a few long moments later when Shera cried out Cid's name as she came. Cid could feel her tighten around him and it was enough to help his orgasm along as well. He cried out Shera's name, no longer a fantasy fueled orgasm.

She rested over his body for a moment, thoughtlessly planting small kisses along his neck and chest. Her eyes flitted to the clock and she sat up.

"I need to go. I'm going to be late."

Cid sat up once she got off of him. She pulled on her dress and Cid zipped it up for her.

"I had come-"

"Yeah, ya did." He interrupted with a smile, which Shera shook her head but grinned.

"-to tell you that you need to pick the girls up tomorrow from Theresa's. They're having a sleepover."

Cid pulled his robe on, nodding as he listened. He walked her to the door.

"What time?"

"Not sure, maybe morning. Theresa has your number. She'll call or text."

"Okay. Have fun on your date." He gave her a wolfish smile.

"You're a horrible man, Cid Highwind."

"I know. Good night, Shera."

The girls were outside getting firewood ready for the fire pit while Cid was getting things to make s'mores. The night sky had crept slowly after the sunset had occurred, both girls had been curled close to Cid to watch it.

Cid brought back a platter with drinks and all the makings for s'mores. The twins smiled and jumped up and down. Salem went to go take the tray from her dad while Skylar pulled Cid to the fire pit.

He brought the girls in and taught them how to start a fire, how to get some kindling and to go from there. Soon the fire was high and toasty warm, and everyone brought their chairs closer.

There was much laughter and sticky hands from the gooey marshmallows, and messy chocolate faces from eating the s'mores. Even Cid ended up with a marshmallow melted mess on his stubble.

When the fire died down to almost nothing, Cid doused it with water and mixed up the ashes until they were a gross pile of debris. He turned to his girls and nodded his head towards the house. Slowly, they got off their chairs and helped tidy up. Cid followed with the tray and the left overs.

"Clean up, and jump into bed, I'll read you a story."

"No bath?"

"Nah. Just wash yer faces and brush yer teeth. You can have a bath tomorrow morning."

They got the chocolate off, and most of the marshmallow. The teeth were brushed and that was good enough for Cid for now. He tucked them in and read them a story, but stopped halfway through when he seen they were asleep.

Going downstairs, Cid went to clean up from dinner and the dessert of messy s'mores but a knock came from the door. Tossing his tea towel over his shoulder, Cid opened the door.

"Shera?" He stepped aside for her to come in. "What's going on? I thought you had a date with Mitchell?"

"I did. We did." She sat on the bench by the door and tried to undo the straps to her shoes. Her hands shook. Cid knelt down and undid her shoes for her, his large hand warm against her ankle.

"Come have some tea. Kitchen or living room?" He asked.

"Living room."

"Go have a seat and I'll bring it to you."

Cid went to make a pot of tea while Shera went and sat on the couch, pulling one of the blankets around herself. Cid came back with a pot of tea and cups on a tray, he locked the front door as he went by it.

"Tell me what's going on."

"Mitchell."

He threw her a look as if to say he knew that much.

"He was drinking. Heavily. He got stupid. Mean. He swore at me."

Cid opened his mouth to state that he used to swear at Shera but she stopped him with a look and the comment of "Not like you. You were never _that_ mean. I knew that when you swore, it was out of frustration and you never meant it as a way to hurt me."

He poured Shera a mug of tea and handed it to her. Cid kept quiet while she spoke.

"I drove us back from dinner. The whole time in the car he was belligerent. Swearing at me, commenting on my weight. He said I was a whore for what I was wearing tonight."

Turning to look at her, Cid snorted and shook his head.

"That's what he said. We got back to the house, and I put my bag down, hung my jacket up and turned to ask if he wanted some coffee. Or if I should drive him home." Shera held tight to the mug. "When I suggested that I drive him home, he slapped me. He didn't apologize, just walked around me and swore at me some more. I picked my bag back up and left. Quickly. I came here."

Cid took the mug from her, pried her fingers from it and put it down. "Come 'ere." He opened his arms to her and Shera moved quickly to be in his embrace.

Holding her close, Cid ran his hand over her back in soothing circles. "You'll be staying the night." He knew that Shera wouldn't complain or say no.

"Can.. Can I stay with you?"

Cid nodded. "Of course."

After a bit, after her nerves seemed to calm a bit, Shera sat back up and took the tea again. She still sat close to Cid, but wasn't leaning on him.

Cid finished his tea and stood, his hand offered to Shera. She took it and he helped her up.

"I'm gonna lock the back doors up."

"Did you get the front?"

"I did."

Shera checked it anyway while Cid locked the back doors. He offered his hand and lead the way upstairs.

He found her one of his t-shirts to wear. She changed in the room and so did Cid.

"Do you need ice for your face?"

"No. It wasn't that hard. More of a surprise."

He crawled into bed, then moved over so Shera could lay beside him. She curled against his side, and Cid moved his arm so she could rest on it like she used to do.

"What are your plans for Mitchell?"

"Dump him. You don't strike a person. I'm not here for that. If he did it when he was drunk, who's to say that one day that side of him might come out when he's sober. I don't want that. I don't want our girls to be around that."

"I agree. That's.. You don't deserve that."

There were words unspoken hung heavy in the air but neither of them had courage to pluck them, or to say them.

There were a few long heartbeats between them before Shera spoke again.

"Can you help me bring his stuff out of the house?"

"Yeah. How much stuff he got there?"

"Clothes, some random stuff like books."

"Yeah. I can do that. Did you want me there when you dump him?"

"No. He might see it as you gloating."

Cid snorted at that but said nothing else.

Shera could hear Cid's heart beating from where she rested her head against him.

"I miss this. I miss being able to hear your heartbeat."

Cid smiled and he sort of made a huff of air from his nose in an amused way.

"Wait, I said that outloud, didn't I?" She asked.

"Yeah. Ya did. I don't mind. In utter honesty, I miss you laying with me. I miss you a lot." Cid stopped after that. Stopped before the emotions got to be too much.

One heartbeat. Two. Three. Four.

"I think I made a mistake, Cid."

"We all do, Shera. Yer kicking him out, and that's what matters. Yer realizing that he's not good for ya."

He could feel her hair move as she nodded. There was a slow dawning on him. "Ya didn't mean him, did ya?"

"No. I meant me. I shouldn't have divorced you."

"Shera. I don't blame ya. Ya fell out of love. For some people, it happens. You were being true to yerself. That's all I ever wanted for ya. That, and for ya to be happy. You fell out of love and I didn't make ya happy."

"How..." She sat up, and looked at him. "How can you be so damned understanding, Captain?"

"I love you. I want what's _best_ for you. If I'm not it, then I want you to find what you think is best for you." Cid sat up and leaned against the headboard. "I might not fucking like it one bit, Shera, but if that's what _you_ want, then I will support your broken ass stupid idea because it makes you _happy_."

"Language."

"Fuck that shit, Shera. They've heard me swear plenty of times. We've had discussions about how they're not suppose to swear because it's an adult thing to do."

She could tell he was grinning in the dark. "Okay, if they were toddlers..."

"Then I wouldn't swear."

Shera sighed long and hard and she could hear Cid turn his head towards her. She felt his fingers against her arm.

"Come 'ere. If I have ya in my bed for a bit, I wanna snuggle ya. Unless you don't want too."

"I do, Captain. I do."

Moving close, Shera curled against him again. For the length of a few long moments they rested like that until Shera straddled his hips. Leaning over him, she rested against him like she used to.

"Is this okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it's okay."

The room was quiet except for their breathing.

"Cid?"

"Shera?"

"Did.. Did you want to try again?"

He wanted to say yes. He wanted to hug her tight and never let her go, but part of his mind kept asking: _What's going to happen when she falls out of love with you again?_

"I..."

"Captain?"

Cid sucked it up and spoke his thought aloud. "I'm scared. I don't want to say yes and then have you fall out of love with me again. I don't think I could handle it a second time. I barely managed the first time."

Slowly Shera sat up. She reached for the light, turning it on, then looked at him. Cid looked worried. It was writ in the curve of his brow, and the pull of the frown on his lips.

"Cid."

"Shera. Fuck. Gods above know that I will love you until the end of time but only they would know how much more heartache I'm to endure if you decide that I'm annoying you, or that you don't love me anymore. I don't."

"Are you saying that you don't want to try again?"

"I'm not saying that, but I don't think you can tell me that it won't happen again."

Shera looked down at his chest, at the dog tags he took back from her before he had left. It felt like such a long time ago. It was almost a full year that they were living apart, two years being divorced.

"I can't say that. I don't want to fall out of love with you. I don't want to find you annoying, or abrasive, or... whatever it was that was the last straw for me. But Joy."

Cid sighed, and it was a sigh of not having a lot of patience on that topic.

"Since we have divorced, I have been on a handful of dates. I have not slept with another woman. After the last date didn't pan out, which was more than seven months ago, I haven't been on any other dates. The _only_ reason I went on a couple dates is because I need human contact too. I wasn't trying to move on. I didn't want the divorce in the first place. You have always been the woman I have wanted. And Joy? Shera, I am still wounded by that."

His eyes looked glassy and he looked away. Shera felt horrible.

"I know. I've started talking to her again. She swears up and down too that nothing happened. That she was scared in the middle of the night by a noise and wanted to feel safe. She just knows how to act so damned smug."

"And yet, when I told you, you couldn't take my word for it? When I swore that nothing happened, you couldn't believe me? That I cried to you that nothing happened, and that nothing ever would, you still didn't believe me? These are the wounds that fester with me, Shera. That..." Cid sighed heavily, defeated. "We went to counselling. That wasn't enough."

Shera sat still and listened to him rant.

"Shera, when I said that I loved _you_ and _only_ you, I wasn't just spewing shit out. I might have looked at other women and men, but I never in a million years have made a move. Never would I have wanted too. I had everything I ever wanted with you. _You_ made me happy. _You_ were all that I wanted, that I _needed_ to be happy."

Swallowing, Cid looked at Shera. "Can you _honestly_ tell me, that you know, deep down here-" He touched her chest where Shera's heart would have been. "that I have been honest to you. That I never cheated on you? That I never had that intention? During all of that?"

"I.." Shera swallowed, pressed her lips together in a line. "I think I did know. I think I have always known but I don't know why I didn't believe you. Maybe it was jealousy?"

"Of what?"

"You, Joy. The relationship you had. That you had this ease with her, this camaraderie that we didn't have. I wanted that too. I was jealous of the inside jokes you guys had."

"Shera, I have only ever thought of Joy as a friend, and as a cousin. If there was any flirting, it was unintentional. I didn't even know it was happening. I will say that yes, upon occasion I did _look_ at guys and ladies but I never would have acted upon it. You were what I wanted, always."

Cid's eyes moved to where Shera's fingers played with the ends of her hair. He sighed with exhaustion and looked at her.

"If I knew that I wouldn't be divorced again, I would say yes. I would say that we should give it another go."

"Cid, I was incredibly stupid. After I said it, I regretted it."

"But you didn't love me still, even though you regretted it." He sighed a bit.

"Not yet, not like I used too. Maybe we need a bit of time away from each other at times?"

"And, what about now? Do you still not love me?"

"I do love you. I think being away from you, made me realize how much I love you. How much I loved you. I do need you. I want you there. I know that, now. Being away, and.. I missed the little things. They annoyed the heck out of me a bit, but I did miss them. I missed you."

"And if they annoy you again, this time around?"

"Then I take a week away. Go visit my mom."

"If we do this again, we're starting from dating. If we get to marriage again-"

"As if we wouldn't..."

"If we get to marriage again, it's gonna be small and simple." He said.

Shera leaned back against him again, then flipped off the light.

"Cid?"

"Hmm?"

"Pretty sure I'm pregnant."

"Mine?"

"Yeah."

"I'm gonna kick myself for asking, but ya sure?"

"I make Mitchell wear a condom. Last time I had sex with him was a long time ago."

"So ya don't make me wear a condom, but ya make yer on-and-off boyfriend wear one?"

"It sounds horrible when you say it like that."

"It's true though."

"Yeah. It's true. I make him wear one."

Cid laughed and hugged her tight. "Yer a piece of work, Sheraton."

"Shut up, Cidney."

He laughed, Shera laughed, then they both laughed until they wiped their eyes.

Shera sat over his lap. "We really gonna try again?"

He nodded, reached out and flipped the light on.

"So, did you want these back?" Shera held out her arm. The bracelet rested there, and the wedding ring on her thumb.

"We dating?"

"You want to start dating again?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Then I'll hold onto them."

"Maybe the bracelet. Just the bracelet..."

Shera slipped it off her wrist and handed it back to him. Cid slid it back on.

"It looks good there. It _should_ be there."

Cid smiled up at her, gently pulled her back down, and flipped the light off.

The next morning, Skylar and Salem stopped dead in their dad's doorway. They weren't sure if what they were seeing was real or not. They tiptoed closer and closer, hushing each other as they went.

Cid and Shera had been awake for a bit, quietly talking. They both stopped when they heard the girls.

"Check. Salem. Check."

"I'd have to climb the bed. Papa will feel it."

"Please, Salem."

Salem climbed onto the bed and tried to look at the figures under the blankets.

"Well?" Skylar asked.

"I can't tell. She's got Momma's hair, but I can't tell." With a soft huff, Salem walked between the two bodies and knelt on the bed. Skylar gasped at her sister's audaciously. Cid and Shera closed their eyes, pretending to be asleep. Salem popped up to look over Cid's body.

"He's wearing it."

"What!"

"Shh. Just one though."

A high pitched noise came from Skylar, then: "Look. Look for me Salem!"

Slowly, Salem ducked down and carefully peered at the sleeping woman. "Momma..." She sat up and looked back at her twin. "It's Momma! It's her. It's really her!"

Skylar didn't wait any longer and climbed the bed. She was crying with joy as she climbed over Cid to get to her mother.

Cid grunted from the onslaught of little knees to various parts of his body.

"You two, knock it off." He grumbled.

Salem hugged him tight.

The reason for the tears long ago suddenly dawned on Cid when he realized that they were crying because he took the bracelet and ring off. He hugged his daughter back.

They had gone on quite a few dates, and were taking things slow despite Shera's growing baby bump.

"You gonna marry me before this one comes along?"

"Ya askin'?" Cid would reply. Shera would roll her eyes and lightly smack his arm.

Shera was huge and slowly rubbing her belly. She was relaxing in Cid's recliner at his house when she called out to him: "Why don't you move back in?"

He brought her back her craving of the week and looked at her. "Ya sure about that?"

Shera nodded. "It's where you're supposed to be."

The next day, Cid packed up his stuff and moved back home.

"Cidney Highwind, you better marry me quick."

"Sheraton Joules, why?"

Shera stopped and glared at Cid for using her full name then pointed at her belly. He looked at it, then back at her.

"Yeah, and?"

"Cid."

He chuckled, then sighed. "You want it so much, you ask. I mean, ya still have the ring."

Shera was say something snarky then stopped. She looked at her thumb, at the band that sat there since he left years ago. She pulled it off and stalked up to him. Cid raised an eyebrow at her.

"Marry me, Cid. Make me yours again."

He grinned at her and gave Shera his hand. "You were always mine. I was just waiting for you to realize it."

It was a small chapel, and the girls played flower girl and ring bearer for their parents.

The two said vows to each other, different than on their wedding day, but still meaningful.

Cid and Shera kissed gently while their daughters cried, then screamed with joy, petals flying all over the place.


End file.
